As retail supply chains become increasingly complex, preparation, visibility and agility have never been more important.
We spoke with Natalie Bacci-Evers, Director for Business Development North-West Europe - Ground & Rail, and Stuart Hearn, Business Development Director - Contract Logistics, to discuss what separates the most successful retailers and how businesses can prepare for the next peak season.
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Natalie Bacci-Evers |
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Stuart Hearn |
What separates the most successful retailers during peak periods?
Stuart Hearn: One thing that stands out is how early the best retailers start preparing. Peak isn't really won during actual peak. In our experience, it's won months beforehand through discussions with logistics partners around transport, inventory, warehouse capacity, forecasting and fulfilment planning. The retailers that tend to perform best have already looked at where stock is positioned, how quickly they can process changing volumes and where potential bottlenecks might appear. When demand starts to change, they're executing a plan rather than trying to create one.
Natalie Bacci-Evers: I'd agree with that. On the transport side, the strongest retailers build flexibility into their operations well before they need it. They know forecasts won't always be perfect, so they focus on having the right capacity, visibility and contingency plans in place. We've seen retailers navigate major promotional launches and seasonal peaks very successfully because they'd already planned for different demand scenarios and had the ability to adapt quickly when things changed.
Peak readiness is often associated with transport. Is that still the right way to think about it?
Stuart Hearn: I’d disagree. Transport is obviously important, but it's only one piece of the puzzle. Quite often, the challenges start much earlier. If inventory isn't in the right place at the right time, warehouse operations aren't ready to scale or fulfilment processes aren't aligned with demand, therefore you'll start to see issues long before products reach the transport network. That's why we tend to look at peak readiness as an end-to-end supply chain discussion rather than purely a transport discussion.
Natalie Bacci-Evers: Absolutely. Retail has changed a lot over the last few years. Retailers are managing store replenishment, e-commerce fulfilment, returns, promotions and seasonal launches all at the same time. Transport is where disruption often becomes most visible, but the root cause can be much earlier. What we're seeing is that the retailers that perform best don't look at warehousing and transportation separately, they connect the two. That's what creates resilience when volumes increase and things become more unpredictable.
How important are visibility and control in today's retail environment?
Natalie Bacci-Evers: I'd say they're absolutely critical now. Everybody talks about visibility, but for me the real question is what you're able to do with it. Knowing a delivery is running late is useful. Knowing early enough to do something about it is where the real value sits. That's why we're seeing growing interest in things like Control Tower oversight, predictive alerts and real-time tracking. Retailers want the ability to step in before a delay turns into a customer issue.
Stuart Hearn: It's very similar inside the warehouse. The earlier you spot a potential stock issue, fulfilment bottleneck or unexpected change in demand, the more options you have. Visibility isn't strictly about having more data. It's about giving operations teams enough time and the right information to make decisions that keep products available and orders moving.
We often talk about 'silent running'. What does that mean in practice?
Stuart Hearn: For us, silent running in the warehouse means delivering an operation that simply keeps pace with the retailer’s needs and the demands of their customers. Orders are picked accurately, packed on time and ready to move when they need to. Inventory, people, capacity and technology all have to work together seamlessly, particularly when volumes or requirements change. The retailer shouldn't have to see that complexity, they should experience an operation that is flexible, consistent, accurate and dependable. That’s silent running to us, warehousing that simply works.
Natalie Bacci-Evers: In transport, silent running is about reliability and predictability. The retailer knows their goods will arrive when expected, without having to chase updates or manage avoidable disruption. Behind that is a lot of co-ordination, planning capacity, managing drivers and routes, and responding when things change. And that’s where our people come in: having the right people, experience and local knowledge working together to keep everything moving. Our job is to absorb that complexity and deal with issues before they reach the customer. So silent running isn’t about nothing happening, rather it’s about a lot happening behind the scenes, while the customer experiences consistency and reliability.
What is the biggest challenge retailers face today?
Stuart Hearn: If I had to pick one word, I'd probably say complexity. Retailers are serving more channels, managing more fulfilment requirements and responding to higher customer expectations than ever before. At the same time, they're expected to improve efficiency and keep costs under control. Balancing all of that isn't easy, particularly when demand can change so quickly.
Natalie Bacci-Evers: From a transport perspective, I'd probably say uncertainty. Demand patterns change rapidly. Costs fluctuate. Geopolitics impact. Customer expectations continue to rise. The challenge isn't simply responding when something changes, it's building enough flexibility into the supply chain so you can adapt without creating disruption elsewhere.
What advice would you give retailers preparing for the next peak season?
Both: If there’s one piece of advice we’d give, it’s not to underestimate how early peak preparation needs to start. Take a step back and look at inventory, warehousing, fulfilment and transportation together as they’re all connected. The retailers that consistently perform well during peak periods are rarely making last-minute decisions. They’ve already assessed the risks, secured the right capacity, built flexibility into their operations and established clear visibility across the supply chain.
Strong communication between the retailer and their logistics partners is absolutely critical: sharing forecasts, understanding where the pressure points might be and having open conversations early means everyone can plan and respond more effectively when things change.
In many cases, peak performance is determined months before peak actually starts. That’s ultimately what silent running is all about, putting the right foundations in place so the supply chain is ready long before the pressure arrives, and being prepared for what you know as well as what you don’t.
Want to learn more how CEVA’s silent running logistics can transform your business? Click below to request a meeting.